3. Hanging on to Max

Bechard, Margaret. Hanging on to Max. New York: Simon Pulse 2003.

Annotation: Sam Pettigrew is seventeen, a senior in high school, and a single father to Max. He battles being a good father to his son while trying to finish school.

Justification for Nomination: This book is original, and realistic. Usually you hear about single, teen mom's but this is the perspective of a teen father. My younger brother was a teen father and was on his own while attending high school, working and sports. This book gives a positive outlook that not all teen dads are dead beats but can be just as loving and responsible. Sam is a good student who finds ways to balance his responsibilities as well as keeping his priorities straight. I think many teens and even young parents could relate to this story and feel connected to the emotions brought out from it. While I'm not a parent, I am an educator and I feel this book while it goes from past to present it reflects the life of a teen from the age of thirteen to Sam's current age of seventeen. It also discusses crushes, sex, romance, common relaties of teenage life. I original read this book when I thought it was a honor book, however, it wasn't but still should be nominated for this award.

Genre Categories: fiction, realistic, edgy, and problem.

2. Viva La Vida! (Long Live Life)

Bernier-Grand, Carmen. Frida: Viva la Vida! (long live life) New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. 2007.

Annotation: Long live life. Frida's paintings capture the poets patience, flow of words, using vivid details and enriched in color. It also captures the long life that Frida endeared.

Justification for Rejection:
The reason I am rejecting this book has nothing to do with me not being a huge fan of poetry but this book wasn't what I expected. The book was quite short. The poems were about Frida's life growing up in Mexico. It was hard at times to read let alone understand because of the occasional words in Spanish used within the poems. There wasn't a translation to the words so I felt disconnected from the poems. I do know some Spanish,but not all that was in the book. I did however, enjoy her paintings, specifically her watermelon one which was the title of the book Viva la Vida. Summer is approaching and watermelon is my favorite summer fruit. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy modern art or can understand Spanish. It also shared insight about her life growing up.

Genre: Poetry, modern art, and biography.

1. Fat Kid Rules The World

Going, K. L. Fat Kid Rules The World. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 2003.

Annotation: Seventeen year old Troy Billings is six-foot-one, 296 pounds. He befriends the popular, skinny, homeless, punk rock singer, Curt MacCrae. Thought they are complete opposites they shared a sacred bond while still living similar lives.

Justification for Nomination: While this book does use explicit language, sexual reference, and drug use it fits the typical teenager striving to belong to something. Troy Billings, battles issues with his weight, has to compete with his perfect, athletic, little brother. He is self-conscious of people staring at his fat. He makes fun of being fat with these catchy headlines. He talks about suicide as if it was as natural as breathing. He befriends this punk rock, homeless popular guy that everyone admires. The more time he spent with this guy the more he realized he too could belong to something special. Besides the relationship Troy shared with Curt he also shared a sometimes complex one with his retired marine father. Like most parents they then tend to forget what it was like to be a teenager and how their emotions can affect them. Thought I never had over-weight issues, I can relate to Troy. The feeling of being too thin at his age and how I thought people perceived me. I also had a complex relationship with my father but knew deep down he still loved me. I haven't read a novel in over five years and this book caught my attention that I couldn't put it down.

Genre Categories: Honor book, fiction, challenged, censored, coming of age, realistic, and edgy